Meat Goats Module

Meat Production 101

You can’t manage what you don’t measure. That’s the premise behind this Farm Productivity Resource. In order to make productivity improvements on your meat goat operation, it’s critical to take baseline measurements and track your progress.

According to advice from small ruminant specialists and cost of production experts, four Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will have the greatest impact on productivity of your meat goat operation. This module includes easy-to-use calculations and worksheets for you to calculate your numbers for each KPI.

Take a few minutes to review what is required for you to complete the calculations. You’ll need to gather the required information before you can start inputting numbers and calculating your baseline.

By the end of this module, you will:

Understand the value of tracking a few basic KPIs

Recognize how having the right equipment can save time and money

Know what your basic cost of production is

At the end of the module, you will have a report that includes your data and goals as well as tools you can use for on-going tracking.

Additional Ways to Improve Productivity

“Anything we can do to make our time more efficient is absolutely crucial for us. This tool provides a baseline for knowing labour requirements. As farmers we really have to put a value on our time.”– Mark Card, meat goat producerCardlea Farms, Ontario

“Consider labour requirements for feeding during the off-pasture season versus while goats are on pasture. You may be able to intentionally plan other projects during the time when goats are on pasture.”– Mark Card, meat goat producerCardlea Farms, Ontario